Shattered
by Smile.Freely
Summary: My take on what happened between Target and Hunt in season 5. Castle needs Beckett now more than ever.


Shattered

This is my idea of what happens between the episode Target and Hunt. I realize it doesn't line up pefectly, but I needed them to have more time together! I hope to do a follow up too, so stay tuned. I own nothing by the way this is really just for fun! Please Review

Kate shot up in bed, in his bed. What had awoken her? The terrible feeling settled back in her chest, knowing the world was in no better shape than it had been a few hours ago when they fallen asleep. Word had been passed down the line that he'd heard from Alexis. She had gone to him then, knowing that he needed her.

It had been almost four hours since she'd convinced him to just lay down with her. He hadn't even taken off his shirt, or even his belt. He'd flopped on top of the covers, and she'd curled up at his side then. Kate cursed herself for falling asleep, and now she was alone in his bed. He'd covered her up. Creeping to the door way she peered through the small crack for any sign of him, any noise, but there was only silence. Pulling the door open she spotted Martha seated on the steps across the room. Her head in her hands, her eyes focused into Castle's study, where Beckett couldn't see. Kate crept toward Martha, whose eyes flicked to Kate, full of sadness. Bad news. That's what it had to mean, Kate spun around then to see her boyfriend on the floor of his office, on his knees. Kate rushed forward coming to stand behind him.

"Not now Beckett," he told her, his voice thick with emotion.

"I'm not Beckett right now. I'm not a cop at this moment," she whispered unwilling to let him shut her out completely. Castle didn't look up as she finally made it in front of him. At his knees was a shattered picture frame. In a matter of hours, the man she was just getting to know had aged 30 years. His eyes were wrinkled, and his smile dim. His skin pale, and his grasp shaky. She'd watch a man who was always in control, torture another man. Who was this man before her? "Castle," she whispered, before kneeling in the broken glass, not concerned about her knees.

"Kate, I said not now!" He yelled, falling forward, his hands sliding in to the shards of glass, leaving droplets of blood behind. Kate didn't move, despite his outburst. "I don't want you to see me like this," he finally said, picking his head up to look at her for the first time since she'd woken up. Kate couldn't look away from his eyes. He was such a happy man. Was. Now he was a shadow of the old Castle, now he wasn't even broken, he was tortured. He was shattered.

"This is when you need me the most," she whispered, her own voice cracking for his pain. She could have gone her whole life without seeing him this way. No man should fear the death of his daughter.

"What I need Beckett, is my daughter, and unless you are able to bring her back to me, than the last thing I need is you," he spat out. She cringed at the harshness of his words, he'd never been like this before. She was seeing him at his very worst. Kate scooted forward and brought a hand to the side of his face.

"No matter what you say, no matter how hard you try, I am not going to leave you alone, this is when you need me the most," she repeated, her eyes burning into his. Her eyes were filled with tears too. For the first time Castle remembered that Kate was hurting too. She watched as the look in his eye switched and he began to tremble. Softly Kate wrapped both arms around his neck, pressing his head into her, she held him until he finally wrapped his arms around her too.

"There are only three things in this world that I love Katie, and that little girl is at the top of my list." He sobbed out, his voice thick with emotions, tears streaming down both of their faces. "I cannot lose her."

"Castle, listen to me" she pleaded pulling back to look him into his eyes. "Kevin, Javi, Gates, and myself? We are damn good at what we do. You have the entire NYPD and FBI standing behind you at this moment. I didn't stop searching for justice for my mother, and I will never stop looking for your daughter. Alexis is alive Castle, you spoke to her. Hang on to that and know that nothing, absolutely nothing will keep us from getting her back to you."

"I wish you wouldn't do that Kate, I wish you wouldn't make promises you can't keep." He sighed, his frustration returning.

"Richard Castle, do you trust me?" she asked, still grasping his face, their noses only inches apart. He didn't answer so she asked him again.

"With everything that I am," he whispered pressing his lips to hers in that instant finally feeling some comfort from the woman before him. She returned the kiss, willing to give him whatever he needed. Castle brushed the hair out of her face when he finally pulled away, gently tucking it behind her ear. "You're bleeding."

"No Castle, you're bleeding," Kate told him grasping his hand and turning it over to show the new scrapes. "Come on, let's clean up," she demanded before standing and pulling him up with her. Leading him out of the study, Kate noticed Martha still sitting on the steps, tears streaming down her face. "Start the warm water, I'll be in soon" she whispered before turning to the older lady.

Kate closed the distance between them, crawling up the first few steps to seat herself on the landing before the older woman.

"I don't know what he did to deserve a woman like you Kathryn Beckett but our family doesn't deserve you," Martha said through her tears. "Nobody gets through to my son like you do sweetie."

"I love him Martha," Kate admitted for the first time aloud.

"That my dear, is obvious." Martha concluded before kissing Kate's forehead and turning to head up the stairs.

Kate wasted no time finding Castle, he was standing over the sink watching the blood get washed down the drain, she took a second to glance at herself then and realized that her running mascara was mixed with his bloody hand print on her face. A true picture of how they were all feeling. Kate reached around him and shut the water off, placing a towel in his hand, she wrapped his fingers tightly around it so the pressure would stop the bleeding. Slowly she dabbed at the other hand. Castle watched her face, for any sign of what she was feeling, but as always she was calm and in control. God how he loved this woman, she was so strong and yet so loving. Castle leaned forward and kissed her forehead to which Beckett smiled. She switched hands until she was sure there was no glass left. Silently she returned the bloody towels to the counter and turned to the shower. She flicked on the water and adjusted the temperature until satisfied and turned to her boyfriend. Slowly she undid his buttons, and then his pants until he stood before her completely naked. Normally she would have teased him, or flirted with him, or even taken her clothes off too, but knowing it wasn't the time, she kept herself in check. She led his naked body to the shower and nodded for him to get in, which he complied easily. Once he stood beneath the warm water she tied her hair back, and scrubbed her face, washing away yesterday's makeup and her boyfriend's blood.

When Castle emerged from the shower, she stood waiting for him. She had cleaned up the towels, unmade the bed, changed into one of his oversized t-shirts and even swept up the broken glass. She handed him a fresh towel and kissed his cheek before giving him privacy.

"I don't deserve you," he breathed as he walked out of the bathroom clad in the boxers she had set out for him.

"Let's get some sleep. Alexis needs us fresh in the morning, and by then they'll have a trace on where she was calling from," Kate said ignoring his complement. She glanced at the clock realizing it was already past four. Castle didn't seem to hear her though, he moved to her then his actions desperate, his touch and kiss rough, as his body collided with hers. "Castle," she protested, as his hands slid beneath her shirt.

"Distract me, please Kate. For a few minutes make me forget that my daughter is gone," he begged. Kate complied by lifting her arms above her head and allowing him to remove the shirt she was wearing. This was the least she could do for the man that she loved.


End file.
